Coincidentally I was just at norman's yesterday... considering how pretty their website is, needless to say now perhaps, their plants were not comparable...

interesting to note, they would not allow us into the growing area...we could only pick from their little sales / show area...

Many of the plants from other orders look great to me!

Guess I'm not that picky, but they all looked good to me also except for the first batch.

Having just gotten an order from SLO, you do pay shipping. They'll send you an invoice with your order total plus handling, and charge your card/send you a final invoice when they get the shipping cost. The shipping fee is the actual cost (checked my box). Seemed reasonable to me.

I think the point of the thread is to present "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" in terms of vendors and degree of happiness with shipments and service. From the first post, I've expected the range from kvetching to kudos.

I would be unhappy with the first 'mess' posted about. Probably happy with most of the later ones posted.

I won a Dracula bella at my orchid meeting, my first Dracula, yay!


(it's not a vendor but it answers the question, "what orchid did you get today" :)

I never said I am unhappy about all of these. I am simply posting these so that you could judge, which I have stated at least twice. I intentionally refrain from making a negative comment here, and my comments on those should not influence others.

I am really happy with ones from SBOE. I had two other large packages from them, and it was exhausting to unpack. I did take pictures, but there are just too many, so I won't post. I got four or five L. anceps plants, and one of them (Laelia anceps 'Roeblingiana') had four new shoots and was only $75. Now, that is a great value. This may be because I spend a lot there rather often, and this was particularly a large order.

Two others, I am not all that impressed. They seem OK quality for the price that I paid. I may be the only one, but the quality of orchids I receive by mail order has declined over the last twenty years or so. But that is just my opinion.

---------- Post added at 01:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 AM ----------

Apparently, there was no major violation or issue, I guess. Otherwise, they might have been forced to close until they address the issue.

I have read about the nursery, and have deal with them. I am not recommending or discouraging, but contacting the Ag. department would be an option if plants come with pests.

They might have also accidentally encourage me to commit something illegal. When I complained about scales, they wrote they could arrange so that plants can be picked up by UPS. But I was told that sending pests to the Ag. Department in California for ID would be illegal. I am not sure about legality of this, but sending plants infested with pests is probably considered illegal, too.

Pretty passive/aggressive regarding Norman's from the beginning.

I'm not defending them. Don't know them, never bought a thing from them.

I started a longer post but responding to gossip and conjecture does no one any good.

I'm done with this thread.

Whatever you say and whatever pleases you... It's just somebody has to say a word, which I am not too sure. Why bother?

Anyway, I do not have to defend, but there is no gossip here. I have posted pictures of what I received. I also believe that it is a public record about their insect issues. So that is a fact. I am not sure if I could request more detailed information, though.

I understand your displeasure regarding the experience with Norman's but the tone of the entire thread is very negative and to lump all the other vendors into this whole thing seems unfair to them. Unjustified even. Just saying...

You may want to read what I and Orchid Whisperer wrote. Maybe you did not?